Preheat oven to 350°F. Tuck wings under bird, tie up legs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put onions, apple cider, pear butter and 2 tablespoons thyme into a large roasting dish and stir.

Set chicken in center of dish. Roast 1 1/2 hours.

While chicken is roasting, stir together maple syrup, cider vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme in a small bowl. Brush some glaze over chicken.

Set pears around chicken, stirring to coat them with pan juices. Continue to roast chicken until PERFECT ROAST® Thermometer pops and when meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 180°F (approximately 2 hours); basting with glaze often. Remove from oven and set chicken on a serving platter.

To serve, arrange pears and onions around chicken and accompany with pan juices.

Serving Size

Servings Per Recipe 6

Amount Per Serving (* % of Daily Value)

Calories 399

Total Fat12.3g (0%)

Saturated Fat 3.8g (0%)

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol90mg (0%)

Sodium67mg (0%)

Total Carbohydrate54g (0%)

Dietary Fiber 6g

Sugars g

Protein21g

Vitamin A %

Vitamin C %

Calcium %

Iron %

* Percent of Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

** This is a representation of the nutrition label. The actual nutrition label may vary slightly.

Tracy - Wayne, PA

1/1/2007 11:10:41 AM

If you like sweets, this is a great recipe. Made for friends and I loved it. Followed the recipe exactly. The chicken was very tender and moist. My friend, who does not have a sweet tooth, thought it was too sweet for his taste. I used Bosc pears that were not ripe, so they should have gone in the oven sooner (needed more than 30 minutes to soften)

Marcia Spink - Philadelphia, PA

11/27/2006 11:21:49 AM

I used a 7 lb Perdue oven stuffer roaster and followed the recipe exactly. The result was a beautifully browned juicy chicken that tasted great. The second time a made it I used bosc pears and it was just fine. Try not to skimp -- I used vadalia onions, real maple syrup, and fresh thyme. All my guests have asked for the recipe.